Isaiah 11:1-9
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Peaceful Kingdom
11 A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow[a] out of his roots.(A)
2 The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.(B)
3 His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see
or decide by what his ears hear,(C)
4 but with righteousness he shall judge for the poor
and decide with equity for the oppressed of the earth;
he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.(D)
5 Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist
and faithfulness the belt around his loins.(E)
6 The wolf shall live with the lamb;
the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
the calf and the lion will feed[b] together,
and a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze;
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
9 They will not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.(F)
Romans 8:18-39
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Future Glory
18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God, 20 for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its enslavement to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning together as it suffers together the pains of labor, 23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.(A) 24 For in[a] hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopes for what one already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes[b] with groanings too deep for words.(B) 27 And God,[c] who searches hearts, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit[d] intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.(C)
28 We know that all things work together[e] for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.(D) 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family.[f](E) 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.(F)
God’s Love in Christ Jesus
31 What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?(G) 32 He who did not withhold his own Son but gave him up for all of us, how will he not with him also give us everything else? 33 Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.(H) 34 Who is to condemn? It is Christ[g] who died, or rather, who was raised, who is also at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.(I) 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all day long;
we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.”(J)
37 No, in all these things we are more than victorious through him who loved us.(K) 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,(L) 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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